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Spillway work at Priest Rapids Dam nearing completion

Drainage drilling is finished and monitoring devices are now being installed EPHRATA —Drilling for drainage and inspection in the spillway monoliths at Priest Rapids Dam is complete, as around 230 core samples have been extracted from the dam's grout gallery. The discovery of excess leakage due to a disbonded lift joint earlier this year, resulted ...

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Crews Continue Inspection of Priest Rapids Dam Spillway Monoliths

Grant PUD officials expect analysis to continue for the next several weeks Crews continue investigating the leakage discovered in spillway monoliths at Priest Rapids Dam. Initial analysis shows that a disbonded lift joint is the source of the leakage. A lift joint is the area between two concrete blocks poured at different times. A monolith is the ...

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April 10: Commission Meeting Recap

DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING COMMISSIONERS -Unanimously approved a $2.8 million increase to the contract with Voith Hydro Inc. and an extension of 15 days, bringing the total revised contract maximum to $14.3 million. Voith is a contractor on an approximately 10-year project to rehabilitate the 10 turbine/generator units at Priest Rapids Dam. This chan...

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Priest Rapids reservoir lowered for spillway inspection

Grant PUD officials declare a non-failure emergency Out of an abundance of caution, Grant PUD officials have declared a non-failure emergency at Priest Rapids Dam, after inspection drilling revealed leaking in spillway monoliths. Grant PUD will reduce reservoir elevation behind the dam to normal operating minimums while inspection work continues. P...

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Commission meeting recap: Microsoft announces $200,000 contribution for fiber buildout to George

Microsoft officials announced during the commission meeting in Beverly on March 27 that the company is making a $200,000 contribution toward building out wholesale fiber optic service to residents in the City of George. Paul Englis, of Microsoft, told the commissioners that his company as an organization has a desire to give back to the community, ...

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Microsoft helps bring high-speed internet to George

Funding will help bring additional connectivity to customers and businesses through fiber service EPHRATA, Wash. – Microsoft will contribute $200,000 for the buildout of Grant PUD's wholesale fiber-optic network in the George area, Grant PUD commissioners learned Tuesday. Since 2006, when it opened a data center in Quincy, Microsoft has supported c...

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Grant PUD Commissioners set rates for 2018

New rate will increase average monthly residential power bill by $1.49 EPHRATA — Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday approved the next of a proposed series of small, annual electric-rate increases that will generate an estimated 2-percent more revenue over 12 months. New rates take effect April 1. The increase aligns with commissioners' strategy of sma...

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Commission Meeting Recap: Commissioners set rates for 2018 and more

Grant PUD Commissioners set rates for 2018 (2:47:30) New rate will increase average monthly residential power bill by $1.49 Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday approved the next of a proposed series of small, annual electric-rate increases that will generate an estimated 2-percent more revenue over 12 months. New rates take effect April 1. The increase...

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Major construction enters its final stage at Crescent Bar Recreation Site

Visitors will have access to the on-island boat launch by Memorial Day weekend EPHRATA, Wash. – Crescent Bar Island has been bustling with construction activity for the past several months all in an effort to finish three final large projects – the on-island Riverbend Park Boat Launch and day-use marina, water system renovation, and wastewater-trea...

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Meeting recap: Commissioners cautious of carbon-tax proposal

Commission meeting recap Feb. 13, 2018 Even in light of the shorter 60-day legislative session, it has proven to be a busy and jam-packed scene in Olympia. Wednesday (Feb. 14) is the cut-off day for a proposed bill to make it out of their respective committees. Any bill that doesn't pass committee by 5 p.m. Wednesday is considered dead for this leg...

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Progressive Design Build: When speed is the need

Extraordinary load growth demanded a faster way to build. Grant County PUD found one. By Russ Seiler and Mark Milacek, Grant County PUD EPHRATA, WA — Pushed by a decade of extraordinary industrial load growth, Grant County Public Utility District was facing a 5-year backlog of needed substation upgrades, including two brand new substations, expansi...

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Recap of Grant PUD commission meeting, 01/23/2018

Commissioners study 2-percent increase in annual rate revenue (1:30:00) and (3:37:15) Grant PUD commissioners got a look Tuesday at a proposed slate of rate increases across most Grant PUD customer types that would generate an estimated 2 percent more in revenue from retail electricity rates starting April 1. The proposed increase would be the four...

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Customers with high bill concerns are asked to contact Grant PUD

Utility's customer service has plan to help customers with estimated billing EPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD is asking customers concerned with high bills this winter to contact its customer service department by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling (509) 766-2505. Many of the concerns from customers stem from the combination of the traditio...

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Wanapum Heritage Center Presents Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces

Traveling Exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian features the contributions of Native Veterans MATTAWA, Wash. – Native Americans have served in every major U.S. military encounter from the Revolutionary War to today's conflicts in the Middle East and in higher numbers per capita than any other ethnic group. Patriot...

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Public Meeting on Future Grant PUD Rates is Jan. 23

Meeting 2 p.m. at Ephrata Headquarters building EPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD will hold a public meeting as part of its annual review of electrical rates on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Commission Room at the PUD's Ephrata Headquarters Building, 30 C Street SW, Ephrata WA 98823. During the meeting, staff will propose rate increases that reflect t...

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Recap of the Jan. 9 commission meeting

Grant PUD to hire manager for fiber network Grant PUD Commissioners learned at their first board meeting of the year Tuesday of plans in the works to hire a manager to oversee operation, enhancement and expansion of Grant PUD's soon-High Speed Network. General Manger Kevin Nordt told the board he plans to put someone into the position of network bu...

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Commission meeting recap for July 10, 2018

Commissioners call for options to ease rate burden on existing crypto firmsWeeks after learning that a rate proposal for "evolving industries" would approximately triple the electric-rate burden on Grant County's cryptocurrency mining operations, some Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday asked staff for more options. (4:06:50 of commission audio) "We've...

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Commission meeting recap for June 26, 2018

– Proposed new Rate 17 could mean big increase for crypto miners (1:59:20 on Commission Audio) Cryptocurrency mining companies and other businesses that fit Grant PUD's new "Evolving Industry" rate classification would see their monthly power bills more than double under a staff proposal presented to commissioners Tuesday. The Evolving Industry rat...

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Local libraries to host Grant PUD as part of their summer reading program

Grant PUD to present "It's not magic, it's water" throughout the summer EPHRATA — Grant PUD will participate in the North Central Regional Library's summer reading program as they share an interactive presentation about how the naturally-occurring water cycle allows Grant PUD to generate electricity for its customers and our region. In addition, at...

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Commissioners discuss changes for resolution driving current rate policy

Grant PUD commissioners discussed possible changes to the rate-setting policy outlined in Resolution No. 8768 during their board meeting June 12 (10:00 in the recording). Resolution 8768, which was passed May 12, 2015, outlines which customer class would receive "core" or preferential status when it comes to being first in line for the benefits of ...

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